British tennis sensation Emma Raducanu, the 2021 US Open champion, took to Twitter to extend her congratulations to Ons Jabeur, who clinched her first-ever hardcourt title at the 2023 Ningbo Open. Raducanu, currently sidelined due to injuries, praised Jabeur’s achievement with a tweet adorned with folded hands and red heart emojis.
@Ons_Jabeur ♥️🙏🙏congrats ons
— Emma Raducanu (@EmmaRaducanu) September 30, 2023
In response, Ons Jabeur reciprocated the warmth, thanking Emma and adding a couple of heart emojis to her message.
Thank you Emma ❤️❤️
— Ons Jabeur (@Ons_Jabeur) September 30, 2023
Jabeur secured the WTA 250 title by defeating 19-year-old Russian Diana Shnaider in the final at the Yinzhou Tennis Center in Ningbo, China. The swift final lasted just an hour and 18 minutes, with the two-time Wimbledon finalist dominating with a score of 6-2, 6-1.
This victory marks Jabeur’s fifth career title and her second of the year, following her win at the Charleston Open in April, where she defeated Switzerland’s Belinda Bencic with a score of 7–6(6), 6–4. Notably, Jabeur’s triumph in Ningbo solidifies her success on all three major tennis surfaces: grass, clay, and hardcourt.
Maria Sharapova hopes to see Ons Jabeur secure her first Grand Slam victory
Former five-time Grand Slam champion Maria Sharapova recently expressed her enthusiastic support for 29-year-old tennis sensation Ons Jabeur during an interview on the Rennae Stubbs Tennis Podcast. Sharapova shared her strong desire to witness Jabeur clinch her maiden Grand Slam victory, emphasizing her belief in Jabeur’s deserving talent.
“I’m rooting for Ons to win her first Grand Slam; she deserves that so much,” Maria Sharapova declared during the interview.
In the same conversation, former professional tennis player Andrea Petkovic discussed the ever-evolving nature of women’s tennis, highlighting the historical shifts between periods of dominance and intense rivalries. Petkovic noted that Maria Sharapova’s career was marked by intense rivalries and pointed out that today’s emerging talents like Ons Jabeur, Sabalenka, and Rybakina are bringing excitement back to the sport.
Ons Jabeur, who reached a career-high ranking of No. 2 in the WTA standings in 2022, holds the distinction of being the highest-ranked African and Arab tennis player in WTA and ATP rankings history. Jabeur’s impressive performances include being the Wimbledon runner-up in both 2022 and 2023, as well as advancing to the US Open final in 2022.
As tennis fans eagerly await the upcoming Grand Slam events, the sport continues to witness the rise of talents like Ons Jabeur, promising thrilling matches and the potential for new rivalries on the horizon.
Emma Raducanu in 2023
LLWWWWLWWL Ranked no.277, Emma played her last match on the 18th of April when she was overcome by world no.16 Jelena Ostapenko 6-2 6-1 in the 1st round in Stuttgart (draw).
Currently, during this season the Brit owns a compiled 5-5 match record.
Ons Jabeur in 2023
WWLWLLLLLW At the moment ranked no.7, Ons played her last match on the 30th of September when she beat world no.85 Diana Shnaider 6-2 6-1 in the final in Ningbo to win her 5th career title.
This year the Tunisian owns a 33-14 match record. The Tunisian has won 2 titles in 2023 in Charleston and Ningbo. Ons reached the final in Wimbledon.
Emma Raducanu and Ons Jabeur have never squared off.
Emma Raducanu, Ons Jabeur |
| Embed from Getty Images |
